It Been Hard
by Ariana Kingsley
Summary: This is the same vampire academy story but the twist is Rose is shy, good fighter but still shy.
1. Chapter 1

left St. Vladimir in the freshman year. Adrian is only one year older than Rose. Lissa is Rose's best friend but she spends most of her time with her royal friends. Lissa and Rose never ran away but they are bonded. Rose is studious good girl, best in every subject and badass in gym. But she is shy and more respectful and mature. She knows her father but he doesn't have a great relationship with him.

Chapter 1

Oh God. I have never thought Lissa would do that to me. She is in a relationship with Christian Ozera. He has a bad reputation in the class. When he was young, his parents turned to Strigoi willingly. Oh God.. I can't believe Lissa would hide this from me. And I can't even tell it to someone.

Mason. No... He is one of my oldest best friend and he will never tell it to someone else but still it's Lissa and Mason doesn't like to talk about Lissa. I wish Adrian would be here.

Adrian..

It still hurts me. Even his name reminds me of a vacant space in my heart and a lost hope. I still dream of him making silly jokes and him calling me his "Little Dhampire". Initially I was annoyed by this nickname but with time I have learned to like it. It's been almost two years since I last him. I know I shouldn't have been so angry at him. But still he knew he was going. At least he should have told me, I would have mentally prepared myself. Actually no... If I had known that he is going to leave. I would have tried everything to make him stop. I would have pleaded to him, I would have cried. And he knew that. So that day he did everything to make me angry, to make me hate him. And I had been so angry at him that when he called my name, my real name I didn't turn back to see him for the one last time. I regret that and I still wish that I would have gone back in time and change that.

I am sitting in the gym alone after a long morning practice. Sweat was dripping off my skin and my shirt seem to be drenched by it. I have to change before everyone comes in. I went to the changing room and took out another pair of sweat shirt and pants. Took a short shower and changed into the clean pair. I dumped my dirty clothes in my bag. When I returned to the gym, almost everyone from my class was present there. I noticed Mason standing beside Eddie Castile. I walked toward him, when Mason saw me coming toward him, he waved at me.

He greeted "hey, Rose"

I returned his greeting. And then we did our secret friendship handshake.

With his red hair that stuck up everywhere, he was good looking guy. And also one of the funniest guys I knew.

"This is my time, Hathaway. I am leading the session today."

"Oops" i replied "I thought it would be a nice time to teach you a few good lessons."

"It's never a nice to learn from a little girl" said Eddie Castile, a good friend of mine, breaking the tension between us.

I paired off with Mason. We had a good fight, but not good enough. I stabbed him in the first five minutes.

Then I was paired off with Eddie Castile, he kicked me hard in the stomach, I punched him in the face and stomach repeatedly. I leaned backward and let him come forward and when he pushed his punch towards me and kicked his leg, blocking the punch and making him fall on the wooden floor. Then I stabbed him.

I whispered to him "its always a good time to learn from a little girl."

I stood up. A guy stood behind me. He was older than us, maybe mid-twenties and probably tall as six-six or six-seven. He had shoulder-length brown hair, tied back in a ponytail. Dark brown eyes. A long brown coat- a duster, I thought it was called. He had deep tanned skin, much deeper than my own skin color. He came in a gesture of attacking me.

Panicked and not entirely in control of my higher reasoning. I acted out my instinct. I attacked him first. The move was stupid. And it was hopeless. He was a skilled guardian, not a novice who hadn't finished her training.

He moved fast, really fast. He knocked me off. I went on flying. I fell on the ground. I know my back is going to be soar along with the pain Eddie gave me. I stood up quickly, ready for another attack. He jumped on me and God, he was fast. I fell on the ground and I felt tired. God knows I have been practicing for hours. My back hurt, really bad. He was over. I felt nervous, I have been this close to any guy. And God he was good looking. I took all my strength and stood trying to punch him. But that didn't make any difference. He barely touched me and I was flying across the room. I started to fall. Its going to hurt alot.

Only it didn't.

Just as quickly as he blocked me, the man reached out and caught my arm, keeping me upright. When I steadied myself, I noticed he was staring at me. He left me. I stood back, trying to keep myself standing.

A pair of arms caught hold of me. I turned to see, it was Mason. Eddie joined him.

That man said "My name is Dimitri Belikov," I could hear a faint Russian accent. "I've come to train you, Rosemarie Hathaway."

But by the time he completed I lost my balance and fell and I can't see who caught me.

Chapter 2

Headmistress Kirova was a tall and slim, like most moroi. She was sharp nosed and gray-haired.

"Welcome to St. Vladimir's Academy, Guardian Belikov"

She kept her gentle accent while explaining to me my assignment.

I have been transferred to Montana to be a Royal Princess' Guardian. Queen Tatiana Ivashkov is worried that Princess Vasilisa Dragomoir, the last living descendant of Royal Dragomoir Bloodline might run away. She has similar behavior to Lord Adrian Ivashkov, Queen's Nephew, who ran away from St. Vladimir's Academy. It has also been reported that two of them were close. So, there's a slight chance that she might run away with her assigned Novice Guardian, Rosemarie Hathaway. Rosemarie Hathaway is the daughter of Famous Guardian, Janine Hathaway and infamous Mob leader, Abe Mazur. I have personally known Abe for years. He has helped my family many times. But still he is a dangerous person to mess.

Since it is gonna take almost a whole year for Princess to complete her senior year. So, until then I have her novice guardian, Rose Hathaway, who would be my partner and Princess's near guardian when I would be the farther one. Headmistress Kirova gave me the file of Rosemarie Hathaway, since I have to train her. I have to know about her.

Rosemarie Hathaway seems to have a good profile and record. Good grades in every subject, respectful to teacher. Not a red dot on her file. Best friend of Princess Vasilisa Dragomoir since Kindergarten. Was also a good friend of Adrian Ivashkov. Went to an accident at the age of fifteen. The same accident which killed Lord and Lady Dragomoir along with Prince Andre Dragomoir.

...

Rosemarie is a hardworking girl. She had been working out for three hours in the morning before her class starts. I have been watching her from distance for hours. After her class starts. She met few of her friends. Then she beat up one of them pretty easily. Then she fights with the other one, he beats her pretty hard in the stomach. But still she didn't give up and stakes him. Then she whispers something in his ears and then she giggles. He must be her boyfriend. I walked toward her. She notices my presence and turns toward me. Then I saw her. Dark brown hair, almost black tied back into a pony reaching up to her waist. Light tanned skin just like her father with brown eyes which were staring at me.

I didn't understand why but she attacked me. I moved before she launched toward me as a reflex. I knocked her out. She fell on the flying. She fell by her back. She stood up pretty quickly which surprised me. But this I attacked her. She was trying to punch even though it didn't make a change. She was tired and weak but still she was trying hard. I realized she was standing too close to me but it didn't matter. I brushed her off and she flew to the ground but I caught her before she could fall. And then I saw her eyes, dark as she has pain and suffering, like she had her loved one. But then I realised it wasn't her pain, it was the reflection of my pain in her eyes. I let go of her. She tried to stand steadily but her red headed friend caught her and then her boyfriend on the other side.

She was looking at me. I spoke "My name is Dimitri Belikov. I have came to train you Rosemarie Hathaway". And she fell on the ground losing her consciousness. But I caught her in my arms. Her red headed friend and boy friend was looking at me.

I spoke to them " You both complete your training. I willtake her to the Infirmary. But the red headed boy said "No, I will go with her. She is my best friend." Then he looked at Rose's boyfriend and said "Eddie, you stay here. I'll take care of her." Eddie nodded to Red headed boy. So he wasn't Rose boyfriend.

...

Chapter 3

ROSE

I woke up. The lights were too bright. It was hurting my eyes. But soon it adjusted to the light. Doctor was standing in front of me. Her name was Alyssa. She was moroi in her early twenties. Not much older than me. She is tall moroi with soft straight red hair and pale skin like most of the moroi. She has soft grey eyes with high cheek bones and small pink lips. She has been always kind to me. Over the years she had became a good friend of mine. I tried to sit but she stopped and said "Don't move. You are weak."

I asked "what happend?". She replied softly "You were pretty hard. You had internal bleeding but now you are good."

She walks outside and then said "The guy who brought you here was smoking hot" and then she was goneback to her work.

Then I remembered. Guardian Dimitri. His eyes and his hair. I saw Lissa standing on the door. She ran to me and hugged me. She said "Rose, are you alright?" I nodded. There were tears in her emerald green eyes.

She said "Rose, why do you do this kind of works?".

"What kind of work?" I asked accusing.

"You know what I am talking about?"

"I do what I am supposed to do".

"You aren't supposed to kill yourself"

"I am not trying to kill myself"

"Don't lie to me"

"I am not lying, lis"

"You end up in the hospital every week."

"It's not like that"

"Its completely like that"

"I am just doing my workout"

"You used to do workout before but you were not like that. Since he's left, you are working like hell."

"No, I am not. And it's not related to him."

"Please, Rose stop it. He's not going to come back."

Tears were coming out of my eyes. She looked at me and hugged me.

Chapter 4

ADRIAN

God knows what's happening to me. I thought I was going insane. I am just different. I ran away from the St. Vladimir's Academy because I was scared, I thought I was having some kind of disease. I could see some kind of glow out of people. Then it was pain in my head. All of this caused me to leave behind my life. My school, like I cared about it. My friends, Lissa and My Little Dhampire. How could I forget her. She was mine. But I left her. But now I found the solution. I found the reason I was behaving like that. Actually there are five elements of magic instead of four. Air, Fire, Water, Earth and Spirit. That I was specialized in. We had different powers. Some could heal. Some could read minds. Or Some could travel through dreams, like me. Spirit is a very rare element of magic. Only very few Moroi have this element. Some of Spirit specialized people I knew were St. Vladimir, Ms. Sonya Karp, who actually explained him about it and advised him to run away and a Russian Couple.

But now things are changed. I know what I have been suffering from and I know it's cure too. There are only three ways of staying sane from Spirit. First one is Don't use Spirit at all. Then using spirit ornaments like rings, chains, etc which protects us from the darkness, Spirit brings us. And having Shadow kissed partner. It's something I didn't understand completely. It like a bond between two people, who love and care for each other alot, and the Moroi Spirit user heals heals their partner in a very complex or life and death situations, which is hardly possible for me.


	2. Chapter 2

**Sorry Friends. Couldn't upload soon. Have to focus on my other story, The Lost Pieces. Have been working on two more stories too.**

 **Two points for my readers. Dimitri maybe more friendly in this story. And I will write his part from third point of view as I have some difficulty in understanding some parts.**

 **Chapter 2**

ROSE

"Lissa, it's alright". I said.

She has been my nurse for two days. Her blonde hair looks paler in the blue light. This room in the hospital wing has become my prison for the last two days. And my only companion was my novels. I gotta say I love novels. Sometimes I just get into the character, like it's an obsession. Now I am reading a fantasy vampire novel of a girl in love with two vampire brothers. It has an amazing story but still Humans have such a different concept of vampires. Like, a ring can protect a vampire from Sun. Last month, I read another story of a girl in love with a vampire who will sparkle in the Sun. These novels have an amazing plot but still human's theory are pretty weird.

"Rose, will you stop it?" Lissa asked with frustration. Her jade eyes looked darker in the contrast of blue light coming through the bulb. There was not a window in the room. Thus a little less piece of stress on Lissa's part of me escaping through the window.

"What?" I asked in child voice, looking at her with my cute puppy dog eyes.

"Get your head out of the book." She said to me angrily and looking at my puppy dog eyes with words written on her head SERIOUSLY?!.

With her interrobang question, I laughed outright.

She smiled at me.

"Lis, what do I do the whole day here? First you have made me a prisoner here and now you want me to quit books. What do I do then?" I said in a tone as I was speaking facts in front of the audience.

She answered in her sweet melody sound "Rose! You spend all of your day sticking your nose to one of your story books or trying to kill yourself in the gym." I tried to interrupt her but she didn't shut up.

And continued her lecture "Why don't you hang out with us?"

"Us?"

"My friends" she piqued.

That took me surprise. Me hanging out with her is good. But hanging out with her friends is like choking your own death. People like Camille Contains or Jesse Zecklos may think I am cool before but now they are completely convinced that I am a nerd.

They are nice to Lissa for obvious reasons like she is popular, she is royal and she is last living descendant of the Dragon blood left, The Dragomoir.

"Your friends doesn't like me" I stated.

"Natalie likes you" she pointed out.

Natalie Dashkov is the daughter of Prince Victor Dashkov. She is a innocent and naive Lissa's almost cousin. She was Lissa's cousin in the way as Victor was sort of her uncle. We never hung out with her much.

Natalie was nice but still gawky and one of the most uninteresting person I knew. Most royals at the school enjoyed a kind of celebrity status, but Natalie had never fit in with that crowd.

She was too plain, too uninterested in the politics of the Academy, and too clueless to really navigate them anyway. She has jade green eyes, just like Lissa but her hair was jet black.

Unlike us, Natalie was never popular and she was always desperate for attention.

Actually not me, but two years prior, Lissa, I and Adrian were the most popular students at the St. Vladimir's Academy.

But after he left, I got lost in my books and in the gym. But Lissa still maintained her status. This is one of the reason why Natalie started hanging out with Lissa, when I was trying to lose myself. So, Lissa actually is saying truth. Even if I don't admit it.

Lissa said "See she also sent flowers for you."

Pointing her finger at the table on my right. I turned my head to see a pot full of yellow roses.

"Tell her thanks from me" I said to Lis.

"Okay. I will". She said.

DIMITRI

St. Vladimir is a beautiful campus. Dimitri has been habituated of passing different parts of it everyday. To fill his lonely hours at the academy. His favourite Western novels have been one of those companions who help him to fill those hours. Even thought, he is strong and guarded from out. But at night, in his sleep when he is weak and unguarded, terror enters his dominion of dream world, which he could not control. Again, he would be standing there, at his best friend's body with fang marks in his throat and blood sucked out of his body. His best friend, lifeless and lost, because he was not there; not there to protect his best friend, when those strigoi came for the Royal Moroi, Ivan Zeklos.

And Dimitri would stand there, he would see Ivan's dead body knowing he could not do anything because he wasn't present when he could have done anything to save his friend.

St. Vladimir's church chapel reminds Dimitri of St. Basil's. When he had studied. Where he met Ivan. Dimitri was a normal boy, average in everything. Except in gym and in literature.

Dimitri has always been fan of languages and literature. He has mastered many languages along with Russian like Ukrainian, Turkish, Hindi, French, English and Spanish. But he often likes to speak his mother tongue. But here in Montana, he always speak English.

Dimitri loneliness was his always his friend. He has some other good friend. Ivan Zeklos was his best friend, apart from him there was Tasha Ozera. She is six years older than him. Dimitri had met her in Russia. She is one of the few women Dimitri admires. She is a Royal Moroi, but still she is neglected of her rights. This was because her brother and sister in law turned in to a Strigoi willingly. They came back to her for their son. Tasha fought against them and protected her nephew. But it also marred her once beautiful. But she was never ashamed of her marks. She wore them as a part of herself, which made her beautiful and for which he admires her.


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey friends. This chapter is about Dimitri's history. Please review to tell me about your thoughts.**

Chapter 3

Dimitri has been passing through the church's chapel, where he heard voices.

It was a female voice "you know I think she is going insane. Have you seen her in gym. It looks like she is torturing herself to death."

Then a male spoke "I think she is torturing me by staying away"

Someone sighed.

Then the female voice spoke again "gee, Jesse. Don't you know she was with Adrian Ivashkov"

Another female voice came. It was softer but bitter. "Yeah, that's true. I heard Rose was going to elope with Adrian. But he dumped her at the last moment. Don't you remember, Rose had a fight with him before he ran away.".

They were talking about Rose. Rose was with Adrian Ivashkov. It was mentioned in the file that they were close but it wasn't mentioned that they were together. Headmistress Kirova already informed me that there was a huge chance that Rose would be the first person to run away after Adrian Ivashkov. But she also told me that Rose would never leave Princess Vasilisa Dragomoir alone. So there was also a chance that she might run away with her.

The first female voice spoke again "and then she got all weird. All those fainting and vomiting, I thought she was preggo. But then she was normal after the accident."

What is she talking about? Dhampires don't get sick. They get diseases but that's also very rare case. Dhampire have stronger immunity system from humans side and magic in their blood, which increases their strength, reflexes and resist to diseases. The accident that girl is referring to is probably the accindent in which Lord and Lady Dragomoir along with their son, Prince Andre Dragomoir died, leaving Princess Vasilisa Dragomoir and Rosemarie Hathaway.

A dhampire having a relationship with a moroi is not considered good. Especially the one with a royal title on their back. Royal Moroi usually treat their dhampire partner as whore. My father, Randall, as everyone called him was also a Royal Moroi. He quite liked my mother as he is also the father of my siblings.

He was very cruel. He used to beat up my mother. When I was old enough to understand to understand what he did to my mother.

One day, he came home drunk. He didn't show any reaction to me or any of my siblings. He never did. Sometimes he used to play with Vika, who was five years old at the time. Other than that, he never paid any interest to any of us.

My mother asked him what he was doing here. He didn't reply. He caught her hand and dragged her to her bedroom.

I became angry because I could hear my mother sobs. I opened the door and went inside. My mother's clothes were ripped and fragments of her clothes were scattered on the ground. Her braid was marred and her dark hair were falling on her face. There were scratch marks on her face and hands. Some were even bleeding. There was a mark on her neck, just at the throat. And blood was dripping from the two small holes on her neck. I realised that they were fang's mark. My father was trying to drink my mother's blood. It was Taboo for a Moroi to drink blood off a Dhampire and for a Dhampire to offer a Moroi to drink blood from them. But it was common in Baia. Baia was one of the dhampir's blood whore community.

My father looked at me angrily. My mother cried "Dimka, go back to your room." I didn't hear her. I just looked at my father.

He said "Dimka, what are you doing here. Go back to you".

I shouted on him "No".

He came towards me, probably to beat me up. But I took the wooden stick at the corner of the room, which my mother uses to clean the spider's web off the wall, and I beaten him up.

He left the house and never came back again. While my mother cried on the other side asking me to stop. After my father went away.

My mother called me by my name Dimitri and I hugged her. My sisters came in the room and hugged us and we all cried. There were so many reasons for our cries. But we just kept crying until my Bhabusha came into my mother's room and said to us that there is a bright future waiting for us.

When everyone went back to their room. Bhabusha sat on the dining table. My mother has changed her clothes and thrown her ripped and bloodied clothes into the trash can along with it fragments, which were fallen on the ground. Her messied hair had been combed and was braided once again.

She walks slowly towards me and sit on the chair in front of me. I asked her "Why do you tolerate him?". I knew my voice was a bit bitter and louder than it used to be or required.

She didn't reply. I asked her again. This time in a much calmer but frustrated tone. "How can you be quiet when that man hurt you, mother?"

My mother said in a stern and sincere voice "He is your father, Dimka".

"He is not my father" i replied quickly.

"He is your father, Dimitri Randall Belikova. And he always will and you can't that. No matter what you do."

"But, why mother? He always hurts you and he doesn't even care for any of us."

"He does, Dimka. He does care for you and your sisters. And he does love me and I love him, Dimitri."

I hated the fact that my mother loved someone who didn't even care about her and that my mother was too naive to see what I could see then. The voices were gone now and I moved past that wall long time ago. The only thing I learned from my father was that Love was nothing but an illusion created by the people. But I am not naive enough to fall for such a thing as love.

 **Do you like it. Please let me know of your feelings and ideas. And can you please help me select Adrian's birthday. It's between January 17 to February 22. I would like it to be Jan 17 since it's my best friend's birthday or Jan 23 which is my birthday. But I am still confused, please let me know of your thoughts.**

 **P.S. This is last chapter I am updating this month. Next chapter will be updated till the last of September or the first week of October. Since I have my exams coming..**

 **Ariana Kingsley**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey friends. I am back. It will take time for me to update the chapters. But please be patient and review.**

 **Chapter 4**

ROSE

 _Wishes come true..._

 _If you wish them to..._

It was my slogan before Adrian left. Actually it was one of my slogans. I had a few of them. Some of them funny while other were realistic. One of the my favourite was

" _A great person is not the one who can fight the other,_

 _A great person is the one who can stop himself from fighting off the other."_

I used to say this to Adrian every other day and he used to say "Little Dhampire, this only follows for you".

And it was true. He didn't care for me at all. I tried everything to contact him. I send him messages everyday and I knew he did read them, but still he hadn't replied.

He didn't care for me a bit. I thought I loved him but it wasn't true. This office is the place where I spent most of my freshman year. I am the good girl in my class. Only that my best friends were the biggest mischief makers in the class or in the whole academy. Most of the times, Adrian and I were caught bunking the class and singing in the closet or on the terrace.

I still remember the last time, he sang a song for me.

He was singing my favourite song, as I asked him to, it was last day we were alone together. Then suddenly he started ignoring me. He exchanged his seat beside me with Mason. He locked himself in his room in the last few days he was here.

And the day before he left, I confronted him and asked why he was he was trying to ignore. But he just shrugged at me and said "Rose, later". It was one of the few times he called me Rose instead of Little Dhampire. Even though I would beat anyone to death if he or she tries to call me that. But in reality, only one person on this entire planet was allowed to call me that. And he was Adrian Ivashkov himself.

I was pretty dangerous then.

The Headmistress' office has changed a lot since the last time I came here, which was two years ago. The room has been painted blood red in place of plaid blue. The furnitures have been remodeled and the statue of Cupid at the corner of the Office has been removed.

Other things are quite similar as it used to be . The only problem was I don't know what I am doing here.

Headmistress Kirova looked the same as she used to. I often see her making rounds in the corridors or in the assembly especially held for Lissa's parents death, Queen Tatiana's welcome.

She was wearing a dark red dress, which completely matched the background. And with pale white skin and grey hairs, still, she looked beautiful. Guardian Alberta was standing at the corner of the room.

She is the head guardian of our academy. And a second mother for me. She has been taking care of me since I was 4, when my real mother, the famous Guardian Janine Hathaway, left me at the academy for doing her job.

The door of the office opened and a tall man, sorry, dhampire with shoulder length dark brown hair entered. He was the same man who had beaten me up at the gym. I don't remember what his name was but I do remember he had a thick accent, probably Italian or Russian.

Headmistress Kirova looked at him and greeted in a melodious voice that all moroi have.

"Guardian Belikov"

"Headmistress" he replied softly.

Then she turned to me and said "Rosemarie, it's a great pleasure to have you back in my office. I must admit that I missed you in these past years. And look at you, you have grown up. You look so much like Janine now. Except your hair and eyes, they come from your father, Ibrahim, he was quite a gentleman." I could sense the bitterness in her voice, when she talked about my father as if her memories were playing off in her mind.

Even though I have never met my father or heard from him. I had a respect for him. But Headmistress Kirova knew him, all these years she knew him but she never told me anything until now. For the first time in my life, someone told me that I looked like my mother. Maybe it was true, it has been a long time since I met her. Almost five years, I was twelve when I last met her. I don't even remember her face properly. She was taller than me, but her skin was paler than mine. And I do remember that she had red curly hair, which were cropped into short curls, which were not long enough to cover up her marks. But now when I think about it, I think she kept her hair short to show off her marks. Then I looked at Headmistress. She was still standing quietly as if she was in Sub-concious world.

Guardian Alberta spoke in to break the silence between us. Guardian Belikov sighed, it was barely noticeable, his head just lowered, as if he was simply breathing. No one paid attention to his sigh and looked at Guardian Alberta.

Headmistress too turned her head and she again at us. And by us, I meant me and Guardian Belikov.

She spoke again "Rosemarie, you are going to spend your every spare moment with Guardian Belikov. He will be training you from now on. And you should also know that he is Princess Vasilisa's guardian."

This took me by surprise. How could they remove me from Lissa's guardianship. I have been training my whole life to become Lissa's Guardian.

I spoke lightly and as politely as I could. "Headmistress, I am Lissa's Guardian. This is what I have been trained for my whole life. And this was what Lord and Lady Dragomoir wanted for Lissa."

Before I could speak more, Headmistress Kirova interrupted me, this time in her real voice, the same tone she used to talk to me two years ago. "Rosemarie, you will be Vasilisa's guardian and Guardian Belikov will be too." Her hands gestured toward Guardian Dimitri Belikov. I looked at him.

And she continued her sentence "You will be partners. Do you really think, the Moroi Court will leave the last Dragomoir, one of the Royal Moroi Families, the last of the blood of the dragon in the hands of a silly young dhampire girl who can't handle herself." She embarrassed me. I have never been so embarrassed, especially in front of a foreign stranger, who had beaten me up last wwhich

I knew, he was probably laughing at me. Or at least making a joke of me in his head. But when I looked at him. He made no change in his facial expression. He just didn't have time to look up at me.

Guardian Alberta said "You can start your training from today onwards. And now you can go, Rose."

I walked out of the room.


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey friends. This chapter will start the chemistry between Roza and Dimitri.**

DIMITRI

She walked out of the room. There were tears in her eyes before she left. Headmistress Kirova embarrassed her for absolutely no reason. Headmistress Kirova showed her true side when she did it to a seventeen year old girl. Even though she is dhampire but still she is a kid.

"You can go now, Guardian Belikov" she said.

I walked out of the room.

After I was out. Someone called out to see who it was. Guardian Alberta stood in front of me. Her copper coloured skin, and dark spiky doesn't make her beautiful. It showed her confidence and pride in her job. She said"Guardian Belikov"

I greeted her "Guardian Alberta"

"Please don't be hard on her",

"Rose?" I asked.

"Yes, she seems strong and believe me she is. But deep down inside she is broken."

"Guardian Alberta, what are you asking of me_?"

"Just take care of her".

And then she walked away. And I stood there still trying to understand what she was asking of me?

Rose to the gym after her classes ended. I was in the gym practicing. She was wearing a elongated version of something like sports bra and skinny leggings. I do know the name of women clothes due to my three sister, with whom I has grown up. Her hair was tied into a loose pony

"Guardian Belikov" she greeted me politely.

I nodded.

In the first thirty minutes, I made her run around the whole field, which she did pretty quickly.

Then, we sparred. She is a pretty quick learner. But I had beaten her pretty hard last week.

She punched, but it felt nothing at first. Then I kicked her, instead of falling, she turned around. And I tried to get a grip on her shoulder. But in vain, I got my hand on her ponytail, which was loose. Her hair band fell on the ground and my fingers into her hair. Then I felt it. The softness of her hair strands on my finger as if delicate raw silk strands were my hand. By then, she turned around with her long beautiful hair all over her face.

ROSE

We were practicing. Dimitri was standing in front of me, teaching me new steps. I was trying to punch him but he showed like he hadn't felt a thing. But after that I didn't understand what happened. One moment, he was kicking me then next moment, he tore out the hair band out of my hair, which was probably a misfortune when he was trying to catch me. But then I felt his fingers in my hair and he wasn't trying to removed it at all.

I turned to face him. He was staring at me, it was different, he was staring in me, like he could see my soul.

He was breathing heavily and I realized that I too was gasping for air.

Then his eyes met me. He realized that I caught him staring right at me. He lowered his gaze and turned.

Then he finally said "Your practice is over for today".

I took my equipments and left the gym and him alone.

After taking a short bath and changing my clothes, I went out to find Lissa. When I realized that I couldn't find her, I tuned in my mind. It's something I do when I am unable to find her. After the accident, two years ago, I could feel what Lissa is feeling. I could go inside her head. But she couldn't do the same things to me. It's like we are bonded, but only from one side, which is good, since she could not invade in my privacy.

When I went inside her mind, she was in her favourite hideout, Attic of the Church.

I am not really religious, neither I am an atheist. I am just someone whom God left alone, when she needed him, instead of helping or maybe God was helping me but I couldn't see the sunny side in it.

Or maybe it is because my father is a Muslim and my mother never really taught me to believe in God. The only thing she taught me was the guardian mantra.

 _Moroi comes first..._

And it was the same thing and last thing she said to me when she left me at St. Vladimir's Academy, thirteen years ago.

Lissa wasn't alone in the Attic. In the shadows, wearing black shirt and with his crystal blue eyes, I could tell it was Christian Ozera.

I quickened my pace and moved towards the Academy's Church.

Lissa said "You know we really shouldn't do this here."

Christian whispered "why?"

Then I realized they were sitting so close to each other. She said "It's a church below us and people pray there."

Christian replied "God wouldn't mind, you know."

Lissa giggled.

He bent towards me, no... her, and kissed her.

I went back my head and started running as fast as I could.

I reached the Attic. By then, I was gasping and breathing heavily. I opened the door.

Really I wished I wouldn't have seen what I just saw. Lissa and Christian were coiled to each other. And their mouth were all over each other.

They turned their head toward me when I opened the door.

Lissa whispered "Rose, what are you doing here?"

I didn't understand what I just did. I started running. I ran across the whole field. Faster, Quickening my breath and my pace, I ran and ran.

After few minutes passed, though I was still running, I saw Lissa coming from the Church. But I didn't stop.

I cleared my head. Then asked myself.

What happened just now? Why did I ran away from there?

I realized I was feeling something I haven't felt for a long time or something I have been feeling for a long time.

Emptiness...

Was I jealous that Lissa has a boyfriend and I don't? No. That isn't possible. I stopped believing in things like love a long time ago.

Was I jealous that Lissa was kissing somebody and I didn't even had my first kiss?

It's just too old, I am seventeen and I still don't have my first kiss. Most people have their first kiss when they are fifteen or fourteen.

But when I was fourteen, I spent most of my time training, studying or with Adrian. So, I never got that chance. And after he left. I just became a loner.

Lissa was standing at the corner of the field.

When she saw me. She asked loudly "Rose, are you alright?".

When I passed by her and I didn't answer. She tried to use compulsion on me, which didn't work. Lissa is quite powerful in compulsion, but I can sense it even before she tries to use it.

I ran and ran. But then I realized I was still injured from last week and now again I have been beaten up by Guardian Dimitri Belikov. And now I have exhausted all my energy into running.

I felt exhausted, all my bones were cracked, my muscles have been swollen.

I felt my body going against my will. I fell on the ground. Everything blackened out and all I could hear was Lissa crying and speaking my name.


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey friends. I am back. Thank you so much for all your love. And I am really sorry for updating this story so late.**

 **This chapter is really important for this story.**

 **And please read my other stories Lost Pieces and Love's Still There.**

 **And there's a story I read last week and found it very interesting and I think you all should read it too...**

 **All I have is You by Ellse**

 **Unforgettable by Serenithy 31**

DIMITRI

She walked out of the gym. I could hear the pattering of her footsteps fading out. She didn't turn and neither did I. And nor did I hope for her to do so.

I went back to my training.

After I completed my daily practice. I saw a file in the corner of the table in my changing room. It was a orange folder. I opened it...

There was a picture of a girl with a dark thick hair on the first page. At second glance, I recognized her as no other than Rose Hathaway. But she looked younger, maybe fourteen or fifteen. Her hair was shorter and she wore it curled around her face.

There was something on her face, that showed her differently. Was it the way she wore her hair. Or her smile in the picture.

Then another picture was pasted on the another side. In this picture, she was dancing with a moroi, a Royal moroi with blond hair and jaded green eyes. Another moroi stood on the corner, I can tell he's a Royal by his attire. His hair was a little darker than the other guy, with similar green eyes, but with a tint of yellow in it and diamond cuffs on his hand. An Ivashkov.

There was a big news in the Moroi Court, when the Moroi Queen Tatiana Ivashkov, gifted his favourite nephew, not to mention he was a teen, with a pair of diamond hand cuffs.

Then the other showed Rose with a blond moroi girl, around her. I could guess it was Princess Vasilisa Dragomoir. She has blond hair and Jade green eyes, just like the guy in the other picture. That guy must be Princess Vasilisa's brother Late Prince Andre Dragomoir.

When I turned the whole folder over, it was like a photo album of Rose.

In most of the photos, she looked younger and ...beautiful.

 **#Notes- It's starting. Dimitri has started liking Rose. Hopeful for more chemistry between Rose and Dimitri.**

After completing my practice and putting that folder in the shelf. I went outside for patrolling.

The woods here at the academy are very different from the one back at Russia. Here, most of the trees are temperate deciduous, while the one in Russia was coniferous. But scenery of this place is pretty.

But still it reminds me of my academy, St. Basil's and of Ivan.

Ivan... This name still stings to hears and make me guilty of my best friend's death. We were best friends from the day I met him.

He was a royal. A Zeklos.. Ivan Zeklos...

A few months before our graduation ceremony, in our senior year, he asked me to be his guardian and I readily agreed.

But two years ago, Ivan was attacked by a group of strigoi. I was on a leave that day. He was with his other Guardian. I still remember his cadaver.

His blood was all over his clothes, bite marks all over his throat.

That day I lost my best friend. And since that day I wish I haven't left him that day. If I would have been with him that day I would have everything in my power to protect him.

I came back to real world when I heard someone crying, when I turned towards the field.

I saw a girl sitting on the grounds holding a body of another girl.

I ran toward her and saw Rose lying on the ground with Princess Vasilisa holding her and crying for help.


	7. Chapter 7: Will you keep my Secret?

I have been there too... Chapter 6: Will you keep my Secret.

Everytime I find myself gazing at the you.

Trying to find your Secret,

To unfold you other sides,

full of mysteries

Lurking in the dark.

Veiled by the darkness of Night.

I woke up in the hospital wing again. I waited for a moment as my pupil adjusted to the dim light coming off a fluorescent lamp. The pale blue coloured wall didn't do much help to my condition. I felt everything blurred. Dr. Alyssa was right, I was doing this to myself on purpose. I have been punishing myself each and everyday in hope that it'll reduce my pain. But it didn't. This ache in my heart makes all of those dreadful memories difficult to forget. I looked around myself, trying to focus on the person sitting next to me. It was Dimitri, sitting on a stool close to my bedside. He was wearing a black T-shirt, noticing his brown long overcoat hung at the corner. He was lost in his thoughts but his observation were sharp enough to notice a slight change in my position.

He asked in a serene and deep voice "You awake?" Sorry, it was more of a statement rather than a question. I quickly answered "Yeah". I tried to sit on the bed and while doing so, I asked "How long was I out?"

"Five hours, since I found you." He replied. Five hours, it was awfully long time. I tried to remember what happened before I passed out. I was in a open field with Lissa. We were arguing about... Christian Ozera. And then I blackened out. I questioned him "what happened to me?".

He looked at me with perplexity in his mysterious brown eyes and then answered with disappointment, "Nothing".

Lissa was with me, when I passed out, she probably healed me with her magic. Yeah, it's true that Lissa Dragomoir hasn't specialized in her magic element yet. But she has got some special power. She can heal people, her compulsion is much more powerful than any moroi, I have ever known. And it was not the first time she healed me. But after she uses her magic, it drains all of her energy. She gets this darkness around her, it's like a layer of rushing feeling of rage and anger coming towards her. But, since I can feel everything that she does, I kind of absorb all darkness from her. I can handle all of that, she doesn't.

 _Moroi comes first._

And then I saw Guardian Belikov looking at me, he looked pretty bemused with my reaction. And really my answer was quite lame. "Ooh" was all that came out of my mouth that time. And surely, he wasn't anticipating this as my answer.

"How long have you been here?" I asked. He looked at me and answered "Five hours". I gasped in surprise. He has been here that long. What was he doing here that long. Was he watching me sleep?, a thought came from my mind. I felt my cheeks becoming red from this thought. What am I thinking. Shut up, I said to myself. I asked "What did you do long?".

"I occupied myself with your medical history. It looks like this side of the campus has become your daily escape..."

"That's not true. Library is my daily escape" I interrupted him.

"Rose, dhampires don't just faint without any reason." His deep dark brown eyes stared at me suspiciously. I said trying to make an excuse "Guardian Belikov, I was too tired and I hadn't completely from last incident. Probably I was just exhausted."

He stood up and passed me a lilac coloured folder from the lamp stand in the back. "Since I was going through your medical reports, this says you had two broken ribs from the scene I pulled last week." He said pointing to my last medical report, and it was true. The X-ray report vividly showed fractures on my last two ribs on left side. He continued "but, your ribs are just fine in today's checkup. Not a sign of fracture...

Dimitri was still talking to me, but I drifted away from my body. Now I was in Lis' mind. She was in her dorm alone, and her clothes were drenched, her hands were bloodied. She was slicing her skin with a sharp razor blade.I felt all of her pain and darkness. The sudden bliss and eternal abyss in front of me.

But something pulled me back to the real world, back in my body. Dimitri was shaking me, his hands on my shoulders and eyes filled with concern. He pulled his arms back, the minute I realized they were there. He sat down back on the stool and interrogated me. "What happened?" I wanted to answer that question so much. I guess I am too tired of keeping this as a secret to myself. I know he won't betray me or Lissa. But now is the not the right time for that. I answered quickly "Guardian Belikov, I promise I'll answer all of your questions. But now, Lissa needs me. He looked at me and muttered something in Russian and then said yes. I stood up on the ground firmly, maintaining my balance and trying to find my shoes. He asked "Do you know where she is?" I looked up to his face, his thick brown hair reached his shoulders. I answered "Yeah, she's in her dorm."

He did not ask any further questions as we rushed down to her dorm. I unlocked the door, and went inside. Lisss was sitting on the floor, crying. Dimitri was right behind me, I whispered to him "close the door". Lissa shook her head and looked at me, her clothes were soaked in blood. She asked "Rose, is that you?"

I looked over to Dimitri and asked him to grab the First Aid Kit from the drawer. I moved closer to Lissa, "Lis, it's me. I am here." I sat down next to her, holding her hands. I absorbed all of her darkness within me. She isn't strong enough to handle this, but I am.

Few minutes later, Lissa, now bandaged up and freshened and I sat on her bed. And Dimitri, who was quiet and observant the whole time, while I was dressing her wounds and cleaning her up. I was completely aware that the Interrogation hour was about to start. He was sitting on a chair right in front of us. I felt like a suspect being in an interrogation with him.

After he was done with our interrogation. We left Lissa to rest in her room and walked out in the hallways. The sun was ascending in the sky, it was the end of the vampiric day. As we walked, I said, "Guardian Belikov, it would be better if you don't tell about my bond to Headmistress Kirova". He just said "I won't"

And I can feel it in his voice that he was telling the truth. "Dimitri, since we are going to be partners in future. Can you tell me something honesty?". He shook his head as yes. I asked in a faint voice, "You aren't here, in Montana, just to train me? Everyone's scared that I and Lisss are going to run away just like Adrian did.?" He looked into my eyes and said "Rose, you know the answer to this, don't you? I did and he knew. He left me at my dorm room.

I am really sorry for being so late, and I know that I need to write an apology letter for all of you. If you like this story, please review and follow my story.

 **I am writing poems nowadays, if you want to follow my writings. Here's the link:**

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